Global warming has pushed industries to adopt renewable sources of energy, as well as reduce their carbon footprint. The demand for specific technical and non-technical job profiles has increased in climate driven economy. If you are a working professional, driven by environment conservation, looking to make a career in environmentally sustainable jobs, this article has got you covered. Read on to know more about:
- Market share of Climate Change related economy
- Top future jobs related to climate change
- Employment avenues in existing core market domains
- Hot technical and non-technical jobs available
The world has witnessed an unprecedented deterioration of the planet’s health in the past few decades. A direct outcome of the Industrial Revolution, Climate Change is also expected to revolutionize the way social systems are structured, similar to its cause. The future holds career options and professional fields that are very different from the status quo.
Market share and growth opportunities:
Low carbon jobs and green initiatives have the potential of creating 65 million new jobs by 2030.
‘New Climate Economy’ report unveiled in Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco
The report also said that climate change driven economy could potentially become worth $26 Trillion in the next few years. To put it in perspective, $26 trillion is roughly one-fourth of the total global economy. In the Indian context, the government has signed the Paris climate agreement, which requires it to generate 40% of its electricity from non-fossil resources. Hence, jobs in the green energy sector will see a massive boom in India too.
Top trends in environment-related career options:
The boom in clean-tech startups worldwide, rise of green design, and local startups tackling regional environmental and climate issues mark the popular and broad global trends in the relatively new field of climate-related careers.
Read our previous article to know more: Climate Change and the future: Upcoming trends in Career
Whether you have an aptitude for research or like to frame public policy, there are jobs related to environment preservation for almost any skill or interest you can think of.
Job opportunities in existing professions:
You can stick to your core strengths and still become a part of the solution, rather than the problem. Can’t believe it? See for yourself some of the profiles clean-tech oriented companies want:
Software engineering: Working for an environmental cause doesn’t necessarily require you to leave your high rise office building in the city and relocate to a tribal set up. Many global organizations like OVO, Planet, Lucid Motors, and Indian companies like Ola Electric (Ola Electric), Charge Point, Mahindra motors work for causes like a zero-carbon lifestyle and electric vehicles. They need engineers skilled in self-driving cars software and other AI-enabled skills for their mission.
Data Science and Engineering: No venture can be successful in the world of 5G unless a data-driven approach backs it. If you like crunching numbers and visualizing graphs, then you can become a green warrior too. Companies like Carbon180 and Indian counterparts like ZUME, Lohum Cleantech have profiles dedicated to data scientists.
Public Relations: The success of the movement against climate change depends on how effectively can the masses be informed and persuaded to join the cause. If you have the knack of getting across your points to large chunks of people, then there are a lot of Non-Profit Organizations and corporations working for green plans that may benefit from your service.
Law: The efforts of climate activists can’t materialize unless there are strict laws for enforcing environmental regulations. Law firms like Dhir & Dhir Associates, Norton Rose Fulbright, etc. offer services to corporations and individuals on Environment Laws. You can also provide your services to NGOs and startups working for a green cause.
The below two websites have a regularly updated catalogue of employment posts relating to climate change based on location, aspirations, and skill set of individuals. Climate Change related jobs by UN, Climate Careers
Job opportunities in new emerging fields:
Besides reinventing the existing conventional sector jobs, climate change is expected to add millions of new posts to sectors centred around environmental issues.
Atmospheric Scientists: Also known as meteorologists, atmospheric scientists study the impact of immediate and long term phenomena related to climate change. We know about the grave implications of global warming and cyclones thanks to the diligent efforts put in by these scientists.
Environmental Engineers: These are graduates in ecological/environment engineering who take up projects aimed explicitly at repairing the damages inflicted on the climate and ecosystem. They are expected to be in high demand in future.
Solar Panel Installers and Wind turbine technicians: If we had to choose one culprit to blame for the environmental damage the planet has seen, it would undoubtedly be the use of non-renewable sources of energy. However, recent years have marked a radical shift to alternative and green energy sources like the sun and wind. It is expected that solar panel and wind turbine technicians alone will be employed worldwide in more than a million jobs by 2050. Not requiring expensive training, these jobs are the recipe to sure shot success. The job outlook for these jobs is roughly 60% in the next 8-10 years, which can be considered to be an exponential increase.
Public Policy Expert: Environment is affected by a gamut of factors that include industrial and technological. However, an equally important aspect is behavioural. Unless there are necessary lifestyle changes in people’s lives, the environment will keep bearing the brunt. Public Policy Experts do just that. They study various socio-economic factors to come up with innovative policies to help the governments inculcate positive changes in the masses.
